Wire-line guard for traveling blocks



March 16 1926. 1,577,403

E, TIMBS ET AL.

-WIRE LINE GUARD FOR TRAVELING BLOCKSv Filed Jan. 14, 1924 3141x214 fou v @Rummy Patented Mar. i926.

UNITED STATS PATENT i OFFI'QE.

EDWARD TIMES, OF LOS ANGELES, AND LEWIS E. ZERBE, OF MONETA, CALIFORNIA,

ASSIGNORS TO UNION TOOL COMPANY,

TION F CALIFORNIA.

GFTORRANCE, CALIFORNIA, IA. CORORA- WIRE-LINE GUARD FOR TRAVELING BLOCKS.

Application liled January 14, 1924. Serial No. 686,093.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that we, EDWARD Turns and Lnwis E. Zukan, citizens of the United States, residing` at Les Angeles and Moneta, respectively, in the county ot Los Angeles and State ot California,4 have invented a new and useful lVire-Line Guard tor Travelr to prevent various articles being entangled in the lines leading to the block and carried into the same.

Hitherto guards have been employed upon traveling blocks used in oil wells to lprevent accidents occurring through the entangle ment ot' various articles with the lines 0perating tho traveling' block so that such articles will not be drawn into the traveling block. Such guards have7 however, increased inaterially the size and cost of construction of the block and are difficult to install or reniove i'rom the block.

An object oi'l this invention is to provide a guard for a traveling' block which will closely follow the outlines et the sheaves oi' the block so that the use oi" the guard will not materially increase the size, bulk or weight of thetraveling block and thus provide a guard for a traveling' block without renderingr the block clumsy or ditticult to handle.

Another object et this invention is to provide a guard which may be quickly and rapidly attached to the traveling block and quickly and readily removed therefrom without dismantling' the block.

lr--rnothcr objecty of this invention iste provide a traveling block having' smooth sur- "aces throughout so that the traveling' block cannot catch against any projections during;` its operation and will readily deflect from engagement with any devices contacting therewith.

Various other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the description et the accompanying' drawings wherein there is illustrated one form in which the invention may be conveniently embodied.

In the drawings:

VFigure 1 is a side elevation of the travelinp; block.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged section on the line f-B'vet Figure 2; and

Figure le is an enlarged detail of the arrangement between the slots in the guard and Agrooves of the sheaves ot the block.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fraginental view ot the portion et the device showing the dowels.

Fie'. is a similar view at right angles to Fig'. 5. l

Fig'. 7 is a lragmental view in horizontal plan section ot the means employed for maintaining' the upper bail upright.

In the drawings the traveling' block is illustrated as comprising' a plurality et sheaves 1mounted to rotate independently vupon a common horizontal pin Q. Preferably caca sheave 1 is provided withrollen bearings 3 which are supplied with lubricant through ducts extending' through the pin Q.

The upper ends ot the side-plates 5 support the ends lof an upper pin 9 having a head 10 litting a recess 11 in one of said plates 5 and provided with a nut 12 threaded to the other endet' the pin 9, said nut 12 being fitted into a recess 18 of the other sideplate 5. The recesses 11 and 13 bring the ends et the nuts 12 or head 10 iush with the sides ot the plates' 5. The lower ends of the plates 5 carry a lower pin 111 having;` a head 15 at one end and a nut 16 at the other, the head 15 and nut 16 being set in recesses 17 in the plates 5 so as to be flush with the sides oit the plates 5. 18 indicates diaphragme em`- ployed to retain the sheaves spaced apart, a diaphragm being disposed at the outer side ot the end sheaves 1 and a dis-phragm being` positioned between each adjacent pair ot sheaves 1. Said diaphragins 13 are carried by the upper, lower and medial pins 9, 1l and 2, respectivelya and held spaced 'apart by means ot spacers carried by the upper and lower pins 9 and 14;. In this embodiment of the invention the medial spacers 1'7"l are in the form of spools and the end spacers 18'L are formed on the extremities of shackles or bails 19 provided at the upper and lower yends oi' the traveling block. The upper ends 2O of the side plates 5 are bent inwardly and bit'ureated to tit around the opposite sides of the upper shackle 19 so it is held in an upright position. The bent ends 2O turther serve as detlectors i'or the top oithe traveling block.

2l indicates guards which are shaped to conform with the shape oi' the sheaves l, thus having a cylindrical Wall 22 and having vertically extending side Walls Q3 joining the sides ot the Wall 2l. Said Walls 23 are spaced so that their side faces are flush lwith the iaces oi the side-plates 5 oi the block. Each guard 2l is provided with slotted arms 2l engaging pins 25 extending from within coiicavities Q6 at the inner side oi the sideplatcs The slots in the arm 2e extend upwardlyam'l outwardly from thevtravcling block so that when the guards 2l are assembled on the travelling block they are hinged on the pins but can readily be removed therefrom by swinging the loiver ends of the guards outwardly and uinvardly.

Below the outer two sheaves l oi the block the guard is provided with vertically depending sections 27 Which receive bolts 28 tor locking the guards to the block.l

f'it the upper end et the Walls 22 oi' the guards are provided line slots 29, the center line slots being located in alignment With the grooves ot the sheaves l, the outer line slots 29 being positioned slightly oit' center ot the grooves of the outside sheaves so that an outwardly inclined line entering said sheaves Will not attach or rub against the sides of the slots 29.

As a tui-ther protection to the travelling block there is provided means for relieving the pins from excessive shocks such as might result Jfrom a blou on the guards 2l. Said means comprise recesses 30 in the 'inner edges of each side plate 5 ot the viframe, Which recesses provide a seat for dou/els 8l provided on the loiver part ot the guards 2l. In this manner the guards 2l become a solid rigid unit With the blocks, as even it' the bolts QSAvere removed, the guards will not become disengaged Without the manual operation ot swinging them upward.

, An in'iportant advantage ot' the travelling bloei; is that it will readily deflect from any obstruction encountered during its travel since the outer surfaces aresmooth and provided ivith no projections which may catch against the contacting object. The guard employed. around the sheaves does not substantially increase either the size, bulk or shape et the bloei; andthe guard may bc quickly detached'by disconnectingthe two lovver bolts from the guards and unhooking the upper ends.

lVhile the traveling block herein described is ivell suited for the purposes of this invention, it is not intended to limit the invention to the speciiie details of construction herein described to illustrate the invention in its preferred torni, but various modifications may be made Without departing from the spirit ot the invention. This invention is et the scope set forth in the appended claims.

lllhat We claim is: A

i. A traveling block comprising a trame, a plurality ot sheaves rotatably' carried by .theV traine, and guards `for the sheaves hooked at one end to the frame and clamped together at the other end.

2. ii traveling block comprising a frame including vertically extending side plates, horizontal pins at the upper and lower ends ot the plates, and a central pin carried by the plates, :i plurality of sheaves rotatable ou the central pin, diaphragms between the sheaves, and guards at each side of the trame and ha ving hooks at one end engaging the trame and clamped together at the louer end. Y

il. A traveling block comprising a iframe, a plurality oi 'axially aligned sheaves carried by the trame, guards having one end hool'ied to the il'ame and clamped at the other end, said guards substantially enclosing the portions of the sheaves protruding from the frame, and slots Ain the guards for linesentering the sheaves, certain oit said slots aligning' with the sheaves and certain of the slots being sol'neivl'iat out ot line with the sheaves.

4. In a traveling block, a trame, a plurality ot sheaves carried by the iframe. guards covering opposed sides of the sheaves, hooks for holding the guards to the iframe, dov'els on the guards and engaging the trame to support the guards, and means tor clamping the guards together.

5. A traveling block, comprising a frame consisting of tvvo vertical side plates, horizontal -pins at the upper and loiver ends oi"A the plates, a central pin, a plurality oi sheaves rotatable on the central pin and a bail connected to the upper pin, the side plates having biturcated ends engaging the bail to maintain the same upright.

G. A traveling block, comprising a traine including vertically extending side plates, horizontal pins at the upper and louer ends oi the plate, and a central pin carriedv bv 1.1.V .0. 'll-.'vvtno plates, a plurality of sheaves rotatable on the central pin, diaphragms between the sheaves, and guards at each side ot the traine having` hooks at one end engaging the traine and clamped together at the louer end, said guards also carrying means on their loiver ends for supporting the guards upon the side plates.

Signed at Torrance City this 2nd day of January, 1924i.

EDVARD TIMES. LEl/VIS E. ZEE-BE.

Utl 

